Tremper High School senior Dallen Arendt has advanced to the National Shakespeare Competition after winning first place at the state level, Kenosha Unified announced on April 14. Arendt will represent Wisconsin at the national event in New York City on April 27.
The competition, organized by the English-Speaking Union, asks students to perform a monologue and a sonnet by William Shakespeare. Students first compete at their schools before moving on to state and then national rounds.
Arendt was selected as Tremper’s top performer among eight participants and went on to compete against 19 others at the state level. After an initial round judged by theater professionals such as actors, directors, and educators, six students advanced. Arendt ultimately earned first place and was named state finalist.
He is now one of only 40 students nationwide invited to perform at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater for the final round of competition. Community members are encouraged to support Arendt in the People’s Choice Award by voting NSC1 through ESU before April 21.
While Tremper celebrates this achievement, Indian Trail High School and Academy had the largest number of students among Kenosha County schools during the 2023-24 school year with a total enrollment of 2,001 students according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. This represented a 1.1 percent increase from the previous year according to DPI data.
Arendt’s accomplishment highlights individual achievement within a district that serves thousands of local students each year.
